Effectiveness of cognitive behavioral psychotherapy under hypnotic state in depressed patients with COVID-19

Abstract

Introduction: The first cases diagnosed in Cuba of COVID-19 were received in Santa Clara. Based on reported emotional disturbances, it was decided to use Cognitive Behavioral psychotherapy as a therapeutic resource to treat consequent depressive states. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral psychotherapy under hypnosis in patients with post-COVID-19 depression. Methods: An explanatory study with a quantitative approach was carried out. The sample was randomly selected in 30 patients divided into 2 groups, admitted between April and September 2020 and diagnosed with COVID-19. The Beck Depression Inventory was used to assess depressive state before and after the intervention with psychotherapy in the waking state and in hypnosis. Results: In both groups, the depressive symptoms disappeared, in 97 % of the patients the depressive state was eliminated. Psychotherapy with a Cognitive Behavioral approach in a vigilant and hypnotic state was considered effective in post-COVID-19 depression after evaluating improvement in more than 50 % of cases. The group that received psychotherapy in a hypnotic state required half as many sessions as the waking group. Conclusions: Cognitive behavioral therapy in a hypnotic state is effective, reducing cognitive distortions, levels of depression and depressive symptoms.

Keywords

• covid-19
• depresión
• psicoterapia cognitivo conductual
• hipnosis
• vigilia.